300: March to Glory Interview

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We talk to the producer about the upcoming action game.

By Jeff Haynes

When you consider feats of heroism, you may think of warriors standing up in the face of overwhelming odds. The battle of Thermopylae literally defines this courage under fire, as 300 Spartan warriors attempted to defy the might of the Persian army that vastly outnumbered them; some historians have quoted more than a million enemies descended on King Leonidas and his soldiers. This epic struggle, which had become a graphic novel by Frank Miller, is now being turned into both a movie and PSP title.

How does the transition of the graphic novel translate over to Sony's handheld? Does it follow the events of the movie? What about the gameplay? We went to Jeff Nachbaur, the producer of 300: March to Glory, to get these questions answered.

IGN: Much of the appeal of 300 as a film deals with the visual and design choices. Will the game try something similar?

Jeff Nachbaur: We managed to see a very early first screening of the movie and we were blown away, so it really raised the bar. So, we went back and revamped everything. It's amazing how much seeing the film inspired the team and changed the look and feel of the game.

We also have some new characters drawn from history, such as the Immortal General Hydarnes, and another Persian general, Mardonius, who actually placed Leonidas's head on a pike at Thermopylae. For these new characters, we had Tom Coker give them the Zack Snyder make-over. We are definitely staying true to this very stylized view of history. No ordinary types for us - Hydarnes might have been just a normal guy in history, but in our game, he's 8 feet tall, has massive blades for hands, and sports a very nasty, snake-like lisp. So, yes&#Array; we are trying for something similar.

IGN: Seeing as 300: March to Glory is on the PSP, what can players expect in terms of multiplayer?

Jeff: We made a decision at the beginning of the project to focus on the single player experience. Our combat system is very single character centric. However, if we get a chance to make another one, I'd definitely want to see some co-op. Maybe not 300 players, but at least 2 or 4 - who has 300 friends anyway?

IGN: What about specific elements in 300: March to Glory makes it a mobile-friendly action game?

Jeff: You never go very long without an auto-save. We strived to make an experience that is pick-up and play if you want it to be. Big story points are told in discreet little packets, so if you put it down and pick it back up, you'll never be wondering what the heck you are supposed to do. It's a very cohesive experience, but just constructed so you can put it down at any time.

We also made sure that you never spend too much time in cut-scenes or cinematics. I've played some PSP games where my battery was running low and I was watching some long cinematic, crossing my fingers the whole time I'd get to the first save before my batteries ran out. You won't have to worry about that sort of thing with 300.